Very simple question (I guess!)

Hi there!

I'm a very beginner player and sometimes I feel really unable to understand some apparently obvious moves, especially during openings.

Take this series of moves, for example, of a very standard Ruy-Lopez game:

If I was playing black, I would have moved exactly in that way: why the most of the top rated players do not do so?

I cannot understand why is not a good idea to force the bishop to go back, while black move on with the pawn structure.

I know it is a stupid question, but I don't know what to think about it. There are also other situations in which the same position, of a white bishop in g5 pining down a black knight in f6 remains not attacked by the h pawn. What's the reason of this?

thank you,

bye!

You have actually asked something somewhat complex- As far as the moves you showed being bad, they aren't bad really. Why Grandmasters don't play that way sometimes is another matter entirely and is a very long discussion but generally if a GM makes a move it is bound to be good not necesarily meaning that there aren't even better moves in any given opening. On the question of pushing bishops away or not pushing bishiops away from knite pins it will depend on the specific position the plan the player has or even the style of the player so its not something that can so easily be defined. All you have to know is that is you feel you need to make the bishop break the pin then do it!

It is not a stupid question.  You cannot learn if you do not ask.  Isn't reading a chess book similar to asking questions about things you do not understand.  When you stop asking you will stop learning.

To answer your question.  Black is pushing pawns while White is ready to castle. White has a better position, since its bishop and knight are developed, thus controlling more of the center.   I'm certain others can give many more suggestions.

...a6 and ...b5 weaken the black pawn structure. They're more likely to be targets (like with a4) than huge assets (though it does have the good point of simply gaining more space, but it's not so useful now).

...a6 and ...b5 are often played but it makes no sense to commit to these moves right away, especially if it means bringing the bishop back to b3 well before black has castled allowing possible tactical opportunities. I'm not really sure if white has a concrete way to take advantage of those queenside moves so early, but I wouldn't be surprised and it can only help white so strong players never play this way.

Many of the things that GMs do are incomprehensible even to strong tournament players. This question isn't quite as obscure, but it does get into some complicated principles.

a6 is a solid move. But at that point, I think white is going to move his bishop again, as it can only attack four squares from a4. So when you threaten this bishop again with b5, it is forcing white into a move that he would probably have made anyway. Later he could play Bd5, pinning the knight to your rook. On the other hand, b5 also allows your light-squared bishop to develop and possibly attack white's central pawn. So b5 has some good and some bad things about it.

In general, it is good to avoid pawn moves because they can leave holes in your defense, and if you misplace a piece you can move it back (although that can be slightly humiliating), but a pawn can never go back.

Thanks a lot!

You cannot imagine how useful your answers are!

This sequence is known as flushing, I believe. In the case of the Ruy Lopez, it really puts the bishop in a favorable position (potential for attacking both the kings house and the queenside rook) while the black pawn structure is opened up. The disadvantage for white as far as I'm concerned is that the black pawns gain space which might cause problems later on in the game due to the development.

When to flush (all toilet humor aside): if black had pawns on d5 and e6 or simply a protected pawn on d5, the bishop would potentially be in trouble spacewise due to further pawn development on the black queenside, thus it's not a good idea to go along with the flush in such a scenario.

Thanks again guys... very accurate and useful explanations!

Me, too.  I always enjoy reading others' points of view about such things.